How to get into audio production in the UK as a 28yr old?
Posted by SiskosBall1966@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 15 comments
Hey everyone. Start out by saying I'm completely new at this. I'd love to work in Film/TV one day, working on voice lines, effects, music etc. Everything which makes up an audio track really. I'm less interested in the music side, like recording music for artists but I'm more than open to learning if it helps.
Only work I've done is for a board game. I made effects, clips and a mix of both sometimes including music, to add on to each time a card is played Or for a win conditon being met. I used Audacity for this. Plus a library of effects, then extracting audio from clips online.
Right now I have a 30 day licence for Pro Tools since that's what I saw is industry standard. I'm learning the basics through YouTube. I can also look into Reaper since that's been highly regarded. I don't have a midi or interface or anything currently. Education-wise I have looked into this, it's just cost that's off-putting when I've also read that degrees and such aren't the thing which can get you in a studio.
Really I'd love to hear what route I should go in the UK. Continue learning online, make my own sample stuff like if I remake audio for a trailer. Or if I should go a much more formal route? Currently I don't live near a city, Liverpool/Manchester is about 50 miles away but if financials can be aided by the Gov then more than happy to move. I work full-time remotely, and I bailed out of Uni a while ago from Photography (may not be relevant but just in case)
Thanks in advance:)
Entire_Adagio4768@reddit
You need to just start doing it! Put out an advert anywhere community based looking for anyone who wants to record any spoken dialogue start there with a podcast, speak a poem or audio book, short play, maybe a short film. Then figure out how to make deliverables to different industry standards, and mix the audio: gain stage, EQ, compress, and make the audio sound consistent, add any treatment. Make the audio sound better than someone who recorded dialogue from a mobile phone with no microphone.
If you start creating and generating content people could find it and want to work with you, if you have no online profile for people to find then maybe you don't want to do it as much as you think you do now.
Check out the YouTube channels "Cato Zane" and "Mastering post-production sound". You have Pro Tools for 30 days. Make the most of it, learn all the shortcuts and the signal flow and routing. If there is a shortcut for it, don't use the mouse.
Commit!
SiskosBall1966@reddit (OP)
Would you say it's better to learn everything I can for pro tools, and then go ahead and out myself out there? Feel like I'd be lost if I did it sooner than later
Entire_Adagio4768@reddit
Just be honest with people say you are developing you audio skills and happy to help people as you are starting you probably not going to be charging money. But it you found a person and recorded their dialogue, you can practice gain staging and eq and compression and treatments and the conforming to a platform like YouTube or Audible.
You never learn and they are good enough and then start working, you learn on the job as you go. Having work to do is the learning driver. Just don't overreach and pretend you have skills you don't have or can reach a standard you cant. But someone who just wants to do small dialogue project might appreciate your help.
Learn everything about Pro Tools on the next 30 days it's all the same method with all the digital workstations.
Learn how the Input/ outputs work with outputs and busses. Learn all the shortcuts and use them instead of a noise. Create and organise and make your own templates for different recording mixing session types. Plan and prepare for what you want and thing you can do with audio.
Start practicing with dialogue, set the level, eq clean the audio, eq sweaten the audio, eq match the audio to other takes or audio, treat the audio specially or creatively, compress the audio, apply corrective or creative treatment.
What I did was log into the America radio archives I think and you can find old interview recordings and then you can clear them up with Rx and then edit.
Maybe start there. If you have Pro Tools for 30 days maybe hard core do all that for like half the time and then try to get one person to record with in the last week.
SiskosBall1966@reddit (OP)
All of this is really good stuff, thank you very much
Entire_Adagio4768@reddit
Any questions keep asking. Good luck, work hard make opportunities don't wait for them.
SiskosBall1966@reddit (OP)
I think what I'd ask is, is it worth it to go the formal studying route at all or to just learn in my own time and find opportunities to do unpaid work, then find paid work somewhere? I get the feeling the latter is the better way
Entire_Adagio4768@reddit
How good are you at self-teaching? I went through the formal route, it helped as I went to the same Uni as someone who helped me because of that but actually being taught at uni it was self learning anyway.
You might find what you need to learn at Uni but unlikely you will actually get more then a syllabus from uni.
Find a group of other people wanting to learn and start talking to people about production. If you don't care about actually getting a degree on paper to open doors which it can. There are a lot of great private courses and videos online . Like Pro Mix Academy, Tool Room and Next level sound, Mix Master Mike.
What part of the country are you in go to London and speak to Soho runners to get in studios as a runner, you might meet someone where will help, you need to get in the environment more than go to uni.
Just going to Uni can open doors but you will still have to do all the self taught work anyway. So if you don't feel you have to get a degree to put on your LinkedIn. Then just get working.
TTNNBB2023@reddit
Do free work, if you can't find people to collaborate with then do it yourself, you need to know the basics of video editing anyway so get learning that and get yourself a subscription to artlist for unlimited music and vfx (£8.50/month) then use one of the free footage sites like unsplash or pexels to get free footage.
Also worth considering that the advertising industry in the UK is huge and far easier to get into, and there is quite a bit of overlap when it comes to technical staff.
SiskosBall1966@reddit (OP)
Nice I'll look into artlist:) You mention advertising, do you mean switch from audio, or is that the overlap? Audio goes well with advertising?
TTNNBB2023@reddit
I mean video ads, from a technical standpoint they are just little films that need audio, and most advertising production houses will also make music videos and some make films, its also an easier industry to get into and it pays better so they is a lot of overlap, Ridley Scott made his name with ads, and still makes the odd one through his production company RSA.
SiskosBall1966@reddit (OP)
Ah gotcha now, really good idea then. And you reminded me of Ridleys side gig so that's fun, appreciate the help
TTNNBB2023@reddit
It wasn't just a 'side gig' its how he got started, Fincher too, lots of directors start in ads.
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seklas1@reddit
Research the companies that do it, find their careers page and wait until somebody decides to retire, or expand. Apply for positions.
Could also try and make contacts in the industry by visiting some bigger film festivals etc.
Meanwhile keep learning software, making personal projects and improving.
SiskosBall1966@reddit (OP)
Ah I forgot to mention, I've looked up job listings and loked for skills/experience required and gathered a list from that. Which is why I started on pro tools. Career pages is a shout, as well as the festivals. Appreciate this a lot